The present invention relates to a container or carrier configured to hold semiconductor wafer disks, film frames, or similar inventory. In particular, the present invention relates to a versatile modular carrier or container system for housing and precisely positioning semiconductor wafer disks, film frames, or similar inventory during a manufacturing process, which modular carrier system includes an external frame that is attachable to and detachable from a shell portion and to which a manufacturing process accessory is connected.
Processing wafer disks into integrated circuit chips involves numerous steps during which the disks are repeatedly processed, stored, and transported. Because of the delicate mature of these disks as well as their high value, it is important for them to be properly protected from damage or particulation and other contamination throughout the manufacturing process. A purpose of wafer carriers is to provide this kind of protection.
Carriers come in a variety of shapes and sizes for meeting a variety of needs. Common types of carriers are SMIFs, FOUPs, FOSBs, and film frame carriers. These and other types of carriers or shippers or pods may be configured to receive semiconductor wafers disks, film frames, and similar electronic component inventory. The carriers generally are constructed and arranged to be sealable enclosures having a main body and a door to cover an opening or aperture in the main body through which the disks are inserted into and removed from the interior of the enclosure.
Because much of the manufacturing process utilizing semiconductor wafer disks and similar inventory is automated, carriers provide features or accessories for accommodating and optimizing automated processes as well as other processes. These accessories include machine interfaces, guide plates, kinematic couplings, robotic flanges, and various types of tagging, tracking, and information providing means. Moreover, since carriers are often manually handled as well, manual handles are required. U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,87 discloses a wafer carrier for use in automated semiconductor component handling, hereby incorporated by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,194 discloses a substrate carrier and U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,664 discloses a kinematic coupling for adjoining a carrier pod with a surface, both of which are also hereby incorporated by reference.
A disadvantage of previous carriers is that, because accessories are attached to the enclosure for the disks, a manufacturing process must have numerous carriers that are each designed for a specific purpose or manufacturing process, or have a more xe2x80x9cuniversalxe2x80x9d carrier having numerous build on accessories, some or many of which are not used for a particular manufacturing process. As a consequence of either of these, costs are higher than necessary, extra accessories during a process step may cause inconveniences, and accessories are disposed with enclosures when the enclosures become useless. Other examples of carriers possessing features that might not be necessary during certain processing steps are U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,427 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,186.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a carrier system whereby accessories were attachable to and detachable from the enclosure and in such predetermined positions that were appropriate for and conducive to automated manufacturing processes.
A modular carrier system uses a shell portion to house semiconductor wafer disks or similar inventory. The modular carrier system uses an external frame with accessories attached to the frame so that multiple configurations of accessories are possible with each shell portion and the accessories can be recycled when the shell portion is disposed.
An object and advantage of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is to provide a wafer carrier and method for assembling the carrier that fulfills the needs outlined above.
Another object and advantage of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is to provide a shell portion that can function as a shipper and that may easily and inexpensively have automated features and manual handles added thereto to make the carrier more versatile and function in a manufacturing process.
Another object and advantage of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is to provide a modular wafer carrier having lower assembly costs.
Another object and advantage of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is to provide a modular wafer carrier that cooperates with existing fabrication machinery and/or automated equipment.
Another object and advantage of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is that the shell portion may be discarded after a desired number of uses while retaining the automated features and manual handles.
Preferred embodiments of the modular carrier system for housing semiconductor wafer disks and similar inventory comprise a shell portion, an external frame and at least one manufacturing process accessory. The shell portion further comprises a main body having an exterior surface, an interior, and an aperture through which disks may be inserted into or removed from the interior of the main body, and a door cooperating with the main body, whereby an open position and a closed position of the door are defined with respect to the main body so that disks may be inserted into and removed from the interior of the main body when the door is in the open position and the aperture is sealed shut when the door is in the closed position. The external frame may be known by several names, such as a skin, exoskeleton, saddle, adaptor. It at least partially surrounds or envelopes the shell portion in a predetermined configuration so that the carrier system cooperates with and can enhance automated manufacturing processes or fabricating systems. By using a frame, at least one manufacturing process accessory can be appropriately positioned on and connected to the external frame so that it may be used in the appropriate manufacturing process step and recycled instead of following the shell portion or being disposed with the shell portion. Accessories may be permanently attached to a frame or may be attachable to and detachable from the frame. The frame is attachable to and detachable from the shell portion. Accessories may also be attached to the shell portion to provide a user with whatever the user feels will create an optimum arrangement.
In operation, a method of manufacturing semiconductor wafer disks and similar inventory comprises providing a modular carrier system comprising a shell portion, the shell portion having a door and a main body having an aperture and an interior, an external frame, and at least one manufacturing process accessory; attaching the external frame to the shell portion; connecting the at least one manufacturing process accessory to the external frame; providing at least one semiconductor wafer disk; inserting the at least one disk into the interior of the main body; and sealing the aperture of the main body with the door. Those skilled in the art are aware that these steps may be performed as effectively in other orders as well.